


Just the Way You Are

by whycantwe



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Birthday Presents, F/M, Fluff, Song: Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars), They're a Family, flynn is the best friend ever again, i wrote this instead of adulting, luke is a big softie, slightly alternated song lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:46:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29380137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whycantwe/pseuds/whycantwe
Summary: Luke finds out about this one song from Bruno Mars and can't stop thinking about how perfectly it describes what he feels for Julie.So of course he has to sing it to her but not without making it a little more Julie and the Phatoms.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 81
Collections: Kelly's Picks





	Just the Way You Are

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> This is just a quick little something I wrote (literally) yesterday. 
> 
> I hope you like it <3
> 
> Disclaimer: the song and the lyrics belong to Bruno Mars. I

He’d found the song a few weeks ago, while he was browsing the internet on Julie’s laptop. She always left it in the garage for them during her time at school. So they could “catch up a little”. 

Catch up he did, on the most perfect pop song he’s ever heard. At least that’s what it felt like. It felt like this Bruno Mars guy wrote right from his soul every time he saw or looked at Julie. 

After he’d listened to it the first time, Luke had spent all day working out the notes, making the song something more like them. A little less pop and little more rock. The lyrics though? He’d never even dare and touch them. They were perfect. Just like Julie. 

At first he wanted to do it by himself, rearrange the song and surprise Julie with it. But he was soon hit with the realisation there was no way he could pull that off alone. They were a band for a reason. 

So, with the knowledge the guys will never let him live it down, he asked Alex and Reggie for help. To his surprise both of them were excited and willing to pitch in. 

“Dude, this song, she’ll love it,” Alex had assured with a smile. 

“Yeah, it just needs a little more us,” Reggie had agreed with a grin and together they’d gone to work.

To Luke’s surprise there wasn’t much teasing, the only thing his friends did was: sharing a weirdly knowing look once he’d laid out his plans. 

Today was the day. Julie’s birthday (thank God for Flynn, otherwise they’d have never known) and the day they would present their (his) present. 

Flynn would lure her to the studio once they came home from school, which was about now, going by the voices he could hear from outside the garage doors. 

“You guys ready?” Turning, he looked at his friends. At his family. Alex behind his drum kit, Reggie next to it with his bass. Ready for showtime.

“Yeah.” They both nodded and poofed out, just as the doors opened. 

Julie was standing with her back to Luke, struggling against Flynn’s efforts to push her inside. “Just wait here for a moment. I’ll come and get you in like 3 minutes, okay?” 

“Flynn!” Julie exclaimed, but it was no use. Flynn gave her one last push and closed the doors. “Urgh.” 

“I love you!” They both could hear Flynn, and wouldn’t it have been for his nerves, he would’ve laughed about it. Right now though, all he could focus on was Julie and the surprise they’d planned. 

Julie just stood there, facing the door for a while. A too long while for Luke’s taste. “Happy birthday,” he eventually said. Making her startle. 

“Luke!” With a gasp and a hand to her heart she turned around. “Uh, thanks. What are you doing here?” 

He grinned reflexively. Her expression was just too adorable, her warm, brown eyes big and vulnerable, with her brow furrowed in confusion. 

Okay. No turning back now. Closing the distance between them, he reached out to take her hand. 

“I, uh, have a present for you,” he answered, squeezing Julie’s hand after he finally got a hold of it. “Just sit, okay?” 

“Okay,” she nodded, now smiling a little, her gaze wandering to their joined hands. 

With a relieved sigh, he led her over to the couch, gently pushing her down. 

“What is it?” Julie asked, while she let her backpack slide to the ground. Her expression was curious now, the irritation of being shoved in here momentarily forgotten.

Luke doesn’t answer immediately. Instead he walked over to the grand piano. Which earned him a small “What?” from Julie. Rightly so, because he doesn’t play the piano. She and Reggie were responsible for that. But Reggie had teached him the few chords he needed for this to work. 

“This is a song I found online,” Luke began to explain, settling in behind the piano, making sure his guitar was next to him as well. “And it reminds me of you.” 

Julie wanted to know the title of the song, Luke could see it on her face, but he wasn’t going to tell her. She’d have to listen and hopefully get what he was trying to say. 

What he was trying to say every single time they made music together. With every word, every chord, every harmony. With every look. 

Without further ado, Luke swallowed his nerves and began playing. 

F chord, D chord, B minor, harmonies. Just like he’d practiced every day these past weeks. 

He wanted to see Julie’s face, take in her reaction but he was afraid he’d play the wrong keys if he did and this had to be perfect. 

_Oh, her eyes, her eyes  
Make the stars look like they're not shinin'  
Her hair, her hair  
Falls perfectly without her tryin'  
She's so beautiful and I tell her everyday  
Yeah, I know, I know  
When I compliment her, she won't believe me  
And it's so, it's so  
Sad to think that she don't see what I see  
But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"  
I say_

He extended the last word, drawing it out, with his voice getting softer at the end. All the while he slowly got up on his feet, his fingers still playing the chords Reggie showed him. 

And then, finally, he was able to look at Julie, look at her face and take in her reaction. Because, perfectly timed with the beginning of the chorus, Alex and Reggie poofed in, picking up the beat and setting a new tempo to the song. Making it their song.

_When I see your face_

He had to be quick, leaving the piano behind and getting his guitar slung across his chest so he could join his friends. The motions came natural to him though, so he took Julie in for a moment.

She looked beautiful, her hair, held back by a cute headband, falling over her shoulders. Brown eyes wide and glistening with tears? Maybe? One of her hands clutched the fabric of her shirt over her heart while the other covered her mouth. 

_There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for a while  
'Cause girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
Yeah_

Luke had a great time. He could feel his friends behind him, putting everything they had into the performance, adding gentle harmonies or highlights with the drums and depths with Reggie’s bass. 

But the best part was definitely watching the beautiful girl in front of him. Registering every tiny bit of emotion that showed on her face. Especially once he began with the second verse with the changed lyrics. The only lyrical thing they’d change. 

_Your lips, your lips  
I could kiss them all day if you'd let me  
Your laugh, your laugh  
You hate, but I think it's so sexy  
You’re so beautiful and I tell you everyday  
Oh, you know, you know  
You know I'd never ask you to change  
If perfect's what you're searchin' for, then just stay the same  
So don't even bother askin' if you look okay  
You know I'll say_

Now there were definitely tears shining in her eyes. Happy tears he hoped. It thrilled him though, that he (they) were able to make her cry with a song. A song they didn’t even write themselves but made something that was them. 

_When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for a while  
'Cause girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are,_

_The way you are  
The way you are  
Girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

Separating the mic from its stand, he closed the distance between Julie and himself. She was standing now as well, stepping around the coffee table in front of her. 

He took in a deep breath for the last chorus. Behind him Reggie and Alex toned down their instruments, slightly letting them fade out until there was only the piano accompanying Luke. 

This time it was Reggie playing, his bass probably slung over his back. But his focus was on Julie alone. The touched smile on her face, the tiny tear that was running down her cheek. She was beautiful and he would tell her everyday, if she’d let her. 

_When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change  
'Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for a while  
'Cause girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
Yeah_

As soon as the last word left his mouth, he had an armful of Julie. Her arms wrapped around his neck, hugging him tight. Her curls gently tickled his face as he pulled her even closer, inhaling the fading scent of her shampoo. 

“Thank you,” Julie whispered, her voice thick with emotions. “Thank you.” 

“Always,” he whispered right back. They never talked about it but he knew Alex and Reggie left them alone as soon as the last note was sung. 

“You know this song is like 10 years old though, right?” She now chuckled, her face still pressing into his chest. 

“Yeah.” He gently let his hand drift through her hair. 

“And you know it’s a little corny?” Turning her head, she looked up at him with such an adorable face he barely could handle it. 

No song ever written would do her justice. Not her beauty, not her character, not her talent. 

But this one was close enough, so he didn’t mind at least a tiny bit. That’s what he told her. “I’m gonna sing it to you every day.” 

She was laughing then, a beautiful, wholehearted laugh. It was so contagious, Luke couldn’t help but join her. 

“I can’t stop you, can I?” 

“Never.” With a big grin on his face, Luke pulled her head back against his chest. Gently swaying them both while he placed a soft kiss on her hair. “Happy birthday, Julie.”

**About a month later**

Luke had kept his promise these past weeks and sang at least parts of the song to Julie every day. Whether they were working on new songs, watching a movie or on a stroll around town. 

Julie’s reaction to it had gotten from charmed to annoyed, back to charmed, then indifferent and apparently she was annoyed with it again. Much to his amusement. There was a cute little wrinkle on her nose every time she scrunched it. 

“Please,” she moaned, her head in her hands, looking up at him, like she wanted to throw something at him. “Can you please stop singing this song everyday? It was cute for a while but now I’m starting to hate it. Again.”

“But I promised you on your birthday,” he reminded her. Actually he wouldn’t mind but he liked teasing her. Hearing her frustrated groan, being able to see her mind running, trying to find a way to finally make him stop. 

“Can you at least do me a favor? Please?” Julie looked at him with her big brown eyes pleading. She knew he couldn’t withstand that look. Not that he intended to at least try. 

“Instead of singing it everyday, can you tone it down to like once a month?” Luke was surprised by that request, he had been sure she’d ask for even less singing. And he would’ve agreed to whatever she wanted. This was fine as well though. Maybe she liked it better than she wanted to admit after all. 

“Anything for you Julie,” he winked. “You know that.”


End file.
